SJ/Eventers -what went wrong here? Help and guidance please

[Ludi-doodi]

I've only today just managed to bring myself to watch the video of my woeful attempt at eventing at Beckwithshaw a few weeks ago. Dressage turned out to be the best of the 3 phases with a 32.5. Eliminated XC with refusals (totally my fault and being horrifically underprepared in XC practice).

So to the point of this post - I had a refusal in the SJ at jump 7 into the double. Have a look at the video and if someone can give me some pointers/guidance as to what went wrong and how to avoid it, I'd be grateful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pww1zAFr28k

If you'd asked me before I'd watched this I'd have said I wasn't kicking enough into it, but I'm not sure - looking at the vid I thought the speed was ok. But hands up I can't see a stride for toffee!

Only other thing I can think of is that I had duff stride in to 6 which unsettled me mentally - I was totally convinced going into XC that I woudn't finish and guess what? I didn't -what's in the brain goes down the rein and all that.

Sorry for the whaffling and whinging - if you can hang on a couple of more hours for the OH to get home pizza and wine available!

A note to the observant - the plank jump did have to be put back up, but it fell at least 3 jumps after I'd jumped it!

PS - I know my position over jumps is awful - unless it has something to do with the refusal, no need to remind me about !

PPS if anyone can tell me how to embed video into a thread rather than a link, that would be helpful too!

 

[Bubley898]

Your position isn't that bad. Is the horse strong you look like your hanging onto him quite a bit, and you did kick in front of the fence but not until the last second, I'm no expert but perhaps your giving him mixed messages by holding onto him too much? At least he jumped it the second time. X

 

[NR99]

I agree with the above, if you softened the hand then maybe the canter would travel a little more freely. From the angle of the video it looked like you were a little ahead of the movement on take off on that particular fence, maybe as you say unnerved by the previous fence. Don't beat yourself up there is nothing much wrong, with practice it will get better and if you find you are negative make sure you take positive people with you. Well done

BTW unlucky about the planks, very late to fall

 

[martlin]

You need a better canter Relax your hand a bit and drive him though the bend, rather than trying to fire at the jumps when you are facing them. I think (I might be wrong, though) that the stop was a consequence of previous jump, tbh. He wasn't travelling well, got several close take off spots, with the canter dying on the approaches - he's a clever horse, so when faced with a combination, decided that he hasn't got enough ''go'' and said ''thanks, but no thanks''.

 

[philamena]

Don't be so hard on yourself! I think you might have a wee bit of the same affliction I have - it feels like you're going faster than you are so you risk making your horse a bit stuffy, especially when nervous. All I'd say, as someone whose stride seeing abilities seem to come and go with frankly embarrassing regularity, is you have a lovely athletic-looking horse who could get over those fences from almost anywhere if he's moving with enough "beans" ... and when he's being left to think about where to put himself a bit more. I'm not saying that's the secret to amazingly successful showjumping (cus I don't know what is AT ALL) but I find it a useful reminder when I need to loosen up and stop worrying. You sort the canter and get it nice and flowy and a bit "looser", and it's his job to do the jumping.

Another useful thing I remember when I feel the nerves kick in and me go a bit bunched up, is "ride like you've already had a stop". I remember this from a pony club fence judge whose voice I can still hear ringing in my ears after I eventually got over her fence hollering after me "Why didn't you ride at it like that the first time?!!" CAn still hear it as if it was yesterday when it was actually about 15 years!

 

[diggerbez]

i think that throughout your canter isn't really good enough (and probably explains why you have having problems seeing a stride) - the fence before the double is sticky and i suspect that he then lacked the confidence to jump into a double from the canter you had.... i wouldn't worry about it though- its easily fixed- its something i've had a huge problem with and have only just grasped the idea of a bigger canter (not faster- bigger)- at first it felt like i was going too fast but i'm getting used to it now and see a stride much more easily

 

[LEC]

First thing I notice is your saddle does not help you at all - you look long in the thigh and it looks like its really restricting your knee and it looks slightly too short in the cantle which does not help your seat in between the fences.

The canter is underpowered it really needs to go up a level. In particular its really noticeable round corners. You seem to not be able to make up your mind about whether to rebalance or get on with it. In your warm up ride a really forwards 5 strides come back and ride a really collected 5 strides then go forwards. The canter you end up with in the middle will be about right. He also looks like he could be sharper off the leg the above exercise warming up will really help.

He does not help as he is very similar to my horse in having an upright neck and not using his neck enough. It is incredibly hard to keep a contact yet be soft so they can use themselves. If I tell you I almost weep with the frustration I have over my hands on the same issue.

Try frying pan hands - hold your reins like you are holding a frying pan. This will release the elbow more and make it easier to follow the contact. You tend to be a little too quick through the shoulders - think about being completely upright over the fence and imagine you are going to be bucked off on landing this will slow your shoulders down.

Hope this helps.

 

[TarrSteps]

Just to add, the horse cross cantered the whole corner (and the one before) and right to the base. I don't know if he didn't fix it himself or couldn't because you were holding his head up. Does he often do this? Is it always turning left?

I don't think it's really possible to "diagnose" over the internet, even with video, but he's definitely inverted and not able/inclined to soften to the hand in front of the fence. A softer hand and more canter would improve the situation BUT it's hard to say how that would go without seeing - if he ran on the front end, it wouldn't necessarily be an improvement. Is there a reason you check him as much as you do and hold him off the ground?

I would agree you "need a better canter" but that can that's an simple thing to say, not necessarily an easy thing to do.

 

[MiCsarah]

You look like you need to soften your hands and let him flow forward abit more. My boy is strong and I also struggle to let him flow quicker into the fences. I find singing a song with the same kind of rhythm your looking for in your canter (my seems to always be I'm a little tea pot!) it always helps you stop thinking how scary the jumps are

 

[charlie76]

I agree about The canter. It needs to be more forward and softer over the back. It does look like you are hanging on to the front a bit.I teach a few people who have the same problems and I have found that just by getting them to open the fingers a little ESP on the last three strides gets them to be softer in the contact therefore allowing the horse more freedom in the head and neck. My phone is a bit cack for bids but. I think he was on the wrong leg round the corner and to the fence which wouldn't Have helped.

 

[Mbronze]

You aren't giving with your hands at all (this used to be a problem of mine) so perhaps he feels restricted over the jump. Get a good forward canter and be prepared to reach up his neck as he goes over the jump.

 

[Ludi-doodi]

Thanks everybody, very helpful and general opinion seems to be canter needs work along with my hands! I do think I'm holding on through nerves, worrying about seeing a stride and over checking the speed. On the whole I need help before venturing out again. Must sort out a jumping instructor

Is the horse strong you look like your hanging onto him quite a bit

No,I wouldnt stay strong, but he can rush into the fence so I'm probably keeping hold to steady the pace, but holding too much

he's a clever horse, so when faced with a combination, decided that he hasn't got enough ''go'' and said ''thanks, but no thanks''.

Clever is not something he's generally described as! But you are right he usually attempts a jump if he can.

I think you might have a wee bit of the same affliction I have - it feels like you're going faster than you are so you risk making your horse a bit stuffy, especially when nervous

I think that you are right.

you have a lovely athletic-looking horse who could get over those fences from almost anywhere if he's moving with enough "beans" ...

I'm very chuffed you think he looks athletic. I worry about doing this type of work with him as he's had lameness issues over the last 5 years or so but mostly I'm happy you've said this as he is 18 and I wondered whether he was perhaps a little too old to start this eventing lark!

i think that throughout your canter isn't really good enough (and probably explains why you have having problems seeing a stride)

Bouncy, forward canter it is then!

First thing I notice is your saddle does not help you at all - you look long in the thigh and it looks like its really restricting your knee and it looks slightly too short in the cantle which does not help your seat in between the fences. .

Mmmmh, never occurred to me about the saddle. Will have to wait to get that checked/changed until the dressage saddle is sold !

Try frying pan hands - hold your reins like you are holding a frying pan. This will release the elbow more and make it easier to follow the contact. You tend to be a little too quick through the shoulders - think about being completely upright over the fence and imagine you are going to be bucked off on landing this will slow your shoulders down.

Hope this helps.

Will have to get OH to show me the frying pan thingy - he does all the cooking But yes it does help

Just to add, the horse cross cantered the whole corner (and the one before) and right to the base. I don't know if he didn't fix it himself or couldn't because you were holding his head up. Does he often do this? Is it always turning left?

erm, sorry to be a bit thick, but to answer your question I'm going to have to confess I don't know what you mean by 'cross cantering'?

 

[charlie76]

Cross cantering=disunited

 

[Ludi-doodi]

Don't beat yourself up there is nothing much wrong, with practice it will get better and if you find you are negative make sure you take positive people with you. Well done

BTW unlucky about the planks, very late to fall

Thank you, I'm good at the beating mysel up. I was devasted the following day feeling like I'd let Ludo down. But on the upside, I didn't get any faults for the planks - the wind blew them over well after I'd jumped them

 

[Ludi-doodi]

Cross cantering=disunited

Ah, thank you!

To answer TarrSteps, no I don't think he does go disunited as a rule. Certainly not something that's been picked up by instructors, but granted I haven't had a lesson a few months! But in the 'heat' of the moment in the competition, I may not have realised and, of course, this won't have helped with the getting the right canter and striding.

 

[TarrSteps]

Cross cantering=disunited

Sorry.

He actually does it a few times and every time you have a sticky jump (or the stop).

 

[Baggybreeches]

I agree with the general concensus about the quality of the canter, if you feel him going sticky then just hunt him round, he doesn't look a careless type but given his lack of suppleness he will get more lift with a bit more poke in the canter (it won't look pretty but will get the job done )
TBH I thought he was rather ungenuine to stop at the double, yes it wasn't a great stride but you weren't asking him to jump a 1.25m double were you?
Practise, practise and more practise.

 

[Ludi-doodi]

Sorry.

He actually does it a few times and every time you have a sticky jump (or the stop).

Interesting, must keep a better eye (or feel) out for that.

All good stuff, thank you everyone

 

[DaisyDoll]

I think you need to have the canter going forward more consistently. There is too much variation between the usual canter and the approaching fence canter, which is throwing him off balance. You need to wait fo the fence to come to you; rather than turning and riding like crazy at each one just sit and wait , making sure you keep a nice forward canter an not checking too much as I think this is making him bunch up too much over his back and killing your impulsion, which is why he chips in sometimes. The stop wasn't nasty which is good; he was disunited round the corner and didn't have the best approach so probably wasn't too sure what you were asking him to do.
Only othe thing I would say would be when he lands on the wong leg you need to correct him immediately as he is getting bit unbalanced which in turn is killing the canter. Come back to trot and balance for a few strides before asking for a good, upwards transition again into a forwards canter.
I don't think you are are far off and he is a lovely honest horse with great ability, let u know how you get on please!